Certain cartons include flaps or other elements that are stowed beneath the top wall of the carton. For instance, some cartons are expandable or can otherwise be arranged to include an expanded open-top portion, which is sometimes referred to as a chimney. The expanded portion of the carton increases the volume or capacity of the carton and allows a consumer to, for example, pour ice into the expanded portion and on top of the contents of the carton. Thus, these cartons are sometimes referred to as ice-pack cartons. It is also desirable for such cartons to retain liquid that may accumulate in the bottom of the carton. In certain ice-pack carton configurations, extension panels and gusset panels, or other panels, are elements that are stowed beneath the top wall of the carton and form at least a portion of an expandable structure that allows for the expansion of the carton.
Stowed elements of an ice-pack type carton in particular can undesirably inhibit machine loading of articles into the carton. This is because the placement of the extension panels and gusset panels beneath the top wall of the carton can at least partially obstruct sliding movement of articles that are introduced into the carton via an open end thereof when the carton is arranged as a tubular structure for loading. The stowed elements prevent smooth mechanical loading and may cause the articles to tip. One method of preventing the articles from tipping is to hand load the cartons. However, hand-loading is an inefficient method of loading large quantities of cartons.
Another approach to prevent the articles from tipping or being obstructed as they are loaded is to arrange the extension panels and gusset panels such that they are secured to and stowed against the outside of the top wall or end walls, so that the interior of the carton is free from obstructions. However, stowing the extension and gusset panels against the outside of the carton is a less aesthetically appealing design since the walls of the carton are then not clean or continuous.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to provide an apparatus and method for loading cartons having an inwardly-extending feature such as a chimney-forming expansion element that is stowed inside the carton.